La golondrina rabadilla canela (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) cría en sudamérica

Abstract

Worldwide, the breeding of birds in overwintering areas is a rare phenomenon. The Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) breeds in North America and overwinters in South America, and five presumably unsuccessful breeding attempts have been documented during the Austral spring and summer in east-central Argentina and central Chile. Here we describe the first case of successful breeding of this species in South America. A colony under a concrete bridge over the Río Tercero (Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina) succeeded in raising chicks for the first time on the wintering grounds. Nest-building began 10 November 2015, and the last nests were abandoned on 20 January 2016. Of 33 finished nests, at least 8 succeeded in raising fledglings that left their nests between 12 and 28 of December. Up to 15 fledglings were observed simultaneously around the colony. A nest found on 27 November 2015 some 20 km NE of Villa Mirasol (La Pampa, Argentina) constitutes a new breeding attempt in a new locality. Given their unpredictable return to colonies, it is uncertain whether Cliff Swallows will establish regular breeding populations in South America. It is important to monitor the colony herein described and to survey concrete bridges looking for possible new colonies in Argentina.